JP2002318649A - System, method and program for emoticon input - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] A system for improving the efficiency of emoticon input.
Provide methods and programs. A facial character for recording a plurality of types of facial characters in advance in association with "a plurality of facial images having different facial expressions or data related thereto (for example, data indicating characteristics of each facial image)" A database, an imaging unit for imaging the face of the user, an imaging control unit for imaging the user's face when the user instructs input of the emoticon by the imaging unit, When an input of a face character is instructed, based on the face image data from the image pickup means or data related thereto (for example, data indicating characteristics of the face image of the user), the face from the face character database and the face from the image pickup means An emoticon selecting means for selecting an emoticon corresponding to the image data; and an emoticon selected by the emoticon selecting means. But the beginning of the sentence you are typing, intermediate,
Or, a system, a method, and a program for inputting an emoticon, comprising: emoticon inputting means for inputting at a position designated by a user at the end.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a personal computer, a mobile phone,
The present invention relates to a system, method, and program for inputting (inserting / adding) emoticons into a sentence input when a mobile information terminal or the like uses e-mail, chat, instant message, or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, "emoticons" are often used in electronic mails, chats, instant messages, and the like by personal computers, mobile phones, personal digital assistants, and the like. “Emoticons” are simple figures and illustrations created by combining a plurality of symbols (symbols as text data). This emoticon is used to express a facial expression such as "smile", and is inserted in a sentence or before or after a sentence. Such emoticons can express "the emotions and feelings hidden between lines" in sentences such as e-mails, which are difficult to read in sentences, so that they enhance the expressiveness of sentences and satisfy "playfulness" It is used as. Further, since the conventional emoticon is a combination of symbols as text data, there is also an advantage that the amount of transmission data can be suppressed so that the emoticon can be used even on a narrow band line.

[0003] FIG. 3A is a diagram of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-305987.
FIG. This gazette describes the emoticons in the 0095 as follows. "Emojis (emoticons) represent human faces, animals, and the like as a series of character glyphs. For example," :-) "," (＾. ＾) "," (＾＾) " , Etc. all represent a human face, and are often "
(Laughter) has the same meaning as "" or "(Joke)." Emoticons are emoticons, smileys (smiles).
y), also called as ASCII art. In FIG. 3A, the mark of “(＾＾)” inserted at the end of the sentence indicates the meaning of “(laughing)”, and “(−0−)” inserted at the end of the sentence. The mark is “(sorry)”
Has the meaning of Also, in this publication,
2 discloses an idea of "a pictograph extracting apparatus for extracting pictographs (emojis) from input text".

[0004] FIG.
FIG. 4 of Japanese Patent Publication No. 0115 is cited. In this publication, emoticons are classified into a plurality of groups and each group is made to correspond to one of ten keys as shown in FIG. In the RAM. In this publication, when a desired emoticon is read out on a screen, a group is first designated by a numeric keypad, and the emoticons in the designated group are selected by the number of times of depressing the same numeric key.

[0005]

In the conventional emoticon input method, a user inputs symbols using a keyboard one by one, or the user inputs text data as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-305987. Method for extracting corresponding emoticon, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-270115
As in the publication, a method of calling by repeating a ten-key operation has been developed. However, none of these methods is sufficiently efficient.
In particular, in a mobile phone or the like having a small number of keys, the user has to depress the key several times in order to select the emoticon, which is very inconvenient. The present invention focuses on such problems of the prior art, and has as its object to provide an emoticon input system, method, and program capable of inputting an emoticon extremely efficiently. is there.

[0006]

(Explanation of terms) In the present invention, "emoticons" means not only "forms in which a plurality of symbols are combined as text data" as in the prior art, but also at the time of filing of the present application. For example, a face character composed of diagram data and a face character composed of dot data (dot data) are generated by processing face image data of a user. , And so on. In other words, according to claims 2, 4 and 6 of the claims of the present application, "a face character generation means (a program for implementing a face character generation step and a face character generation function)" The “face character having substantially the same size as the character constituting the sentence input by the user” generated based on the image data is not “composed of a combination of symbols as text data” but “the face image It is composed of diagram data and dot data obtained by processing data. "

(Contents of the Present Invention) The contents of the present invention are as described in the claims of the present specification. Therefore, the contents of the claims of the present specification are incorporated herein (duplicate description by transferring the description of the claims herein is omitted). In the present invention, all the ideas of the system (apparatus) described in the claims of this specification are referred to as “methods or programs (programs recorded on a recording medium and programs recorded on a recording medium, (Including programs that have not been implemented). That is, in the present invention, the contents of the invention described in the form of “system (apparatus)” in the claims of this specification are all referred to as “method or program (program and program recorded on a recording medium)”. , Including a program that is not recorded on a recording medium) and a method or program (including a program that is recorded on a recording medium and a program that is not recorded on a recording medium). Program).
That is, in the present invention, in the claims of the present specification, all of the inventions in which the characters "system (apparatus)" are described at the end are described as "methods or programs (recording media)". (Including a recorded program and a program that is not recorded on a recording medium). " That is, the contents of the claims in this specification are all described as "inventions of a method or a program (including a program recorded on a recording medium and a program not recorded on a recording medium)." The invention configured as “the invention of a method or a program (including a program recorded on a recording medium and a program that is not recorded on a recording medium)” is also described in the present invention. Within the scope of the invention. The program according to the present invention is, for example, recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk of a computer and executed by the CPU. The information terminal on the user side can be executed by an ASP (application service provider) via a network such as the Internet. Send to (Transfer / Lend)
Is what is done.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiment 1 FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a plurality of emoticons, identification data (ID) for each emoticon, and an actual person (this "person" is preferably a user who has an information device, but may be other than a user). ), The face image having a plurality of facial expressions corresponding to each of the face characters, or data relating to these (for example, data indicating the characteristics of each face image) are recorded in association with each other. This is an emoticon database for storing. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 2 denotes a camera (preferably provided in a personal computer or a mobile phone) for imaging a user's face. Reference numeral 3 denotes an information processing unit (including a CPU and the like)
And controls the operation of the entire information device including the camera 2 and the like.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a character input keyboard for inputting character data desired by the user (data indicating kanji and the like) to the information processing section 3. Reference numeral 5 denotes a Japanese dictionary database for displaying corresponding Japanese idioms and kanji based on data input from the keyboard 4 to prompt the user to select and input Japanese. Things. Reference numeral 6 denotes an input position indicating unit, which is a position where the user should input a character or emoticon (an intermediate position or a position before or after a sentence input by the user).
For example, mouse and cursor
It is composed of keys. For example, when the user inputs "Tokyo" using the keyboard 4, the information processing section 3 searches the Japanese dictionary database 5 from the input contents and selects a kanji character "Tokyo". Is displayed on the screen of the user, and when the user presses the selection key meaning "this is all right", the kanji character "Tokyo" is input to the input position designated by the user by the input position indicating unit 6. (Insert / add).

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 7 denotes an emoticon input instruction unit for instructing the information processing unit 3 that the user inputs an emoticon, for example, inputting an emoticon which is not a normal character. (For example, a "#" key or "*" key for a mobile phone). Reference numeral 8 denotes image data (face image data) of the user's face from the camera 2 and face images from the face character database 1 (a plurality of face images recorded in advance in association with a plurality of face characters, respectively). (For example, by extracting a face image most similar to the user's face image from the camera 2 from a plurality of face images recorded in the emoticon database 1). A face image of the user from the camera 2 (a face image of the user when the user deforms his / her face so as to have an expression corresponding to the type of the face character desired to be input) or data relating thereto ( For example, the face character selection unit 8 is a face character selection unit for selecting a face character corresponding to the data representing the characteristics of each face image (the face character selection unit 8 actually constitutes the information processing unit 3). That may be configured by CPU). In FIG. 1, reference numeral 9 denotes a display for displaying data from the information processing unit 3 on a screen, and reference numeral 10 denotes a printer for outputting data from the information processing unit 8 to paper.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, the user operates the emoticon input instruction unit 7
When inputting instruction data for inputting an emoticon into the information processing unit 3 (for example, pressing a predetermined button or key, or clicking a predetermined icon with a mouse)
The information processing unit 3 controls the camera 2 to deform the user's face at that time (the user's face is deformed so that the user's face has an expression corresponding to the type of emoticon desired to be input). The user's face). Then, the information processing section 3 controls the camera 2 to cause the face image data of the captured user to be transmitted to the face character selecting section 8. That is, in the first embodiment,
When capturing the face of the user with the camera 2, the user can select the type of emoticon that the user wants to input (for example,
Change the facial expression to an expression corresponding to “laughing emoticon” (for example, “laughing expression”), and have the camera 2 image the own face having that expression. To

The emoticon selection unit 8 outputs the user's facial image data from the camera 2 (image data showing the facial expression of the user when the user instructs the input of the emoticon) or data related thereto ( For example, data indicating characteristics of the user's face image), a plurality of face images recorded in the emoticon database 1 (face images respectively corresponding to the plurality of face characters), or data related thereto. (E.g., data indicating the characteristics of each face image) and compare the expression with the facial expression (e.g.,
A face image (eg, “laughing face image”) in the emoticon database 1 having an expression most similar to “laughing expression” or data related thereto (eg, data indicating characteristics of each face image) ) Is specified. Then, the emoticon selection unit 8 extracts and selects an emoticon (for example, “laughing emoticon”) corresponding to the specified facial image data from the emoticon database 1, and selects the selected emoticon. Is sent to the information processing section 3. The information processing unit 3
The emoticon data from the emoticon selection unit 8 is input (inserted / added) to the position designated by the input position designation unit 6 (the beginning, end, or intermediate position of the sentence being input by the user).

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the user instructs the information processing unit 3 to input a face character, and expresses an expression corresponding to the face character to be input (the user inputs his / her face). The camera 2, the emoticon selection unit 8 and the information processing unit 3 automatically generate the desired emoticon by the camera 2, without any special operation by the user. Is selected and input at a predetermined input position in the sentence, so that the input of the emoticon can be made very efficient.

Embodiment 2 FIG. Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, portions common to FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. FIG.
Does not include the emoticon database as shown in FIG. Instead, in the system of FIG. 2, the face image data of the user from the camera 2 (when the user changes his / her facial expression so that the expression corresponds to the type of the emoticon desired to be input). , Based on image data of the user's face). The face character generation unit 11 processes, for example, face image data from the camera 2 to generate “a face character composed of an illustration figure of a user's face including only diagram data”. Alternatively, the face character generation unit 11 processes, for example, face image data from the camera 2,
A "face character composed of user's face image data composed of dot data in which the number of dots is significantly thinned out (reduced) compared to the face image data" is generated. As described above, in the second embodiment, the emoticon database 1 is not provided as in the first embodiment, but the emoticon is automatically generated from the face image of the user by the emoticon generation unit 11. .

Therefore, according to the second embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the user instructs the information processing unit 3 to input a face character and expresses an expression corresponding to the face character to be input (by the user). The camera 2, the emoticon generation unit 11 and the information processing unit 3 automatically change the user's own face only by deforming his / her face to such an expression, and without any other special operation by the user. Since the emoticon is processed and generated from the facial image and is input at a predetermined input position in the sentence, the input of the emoticon can be made very efficient.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, the user instructs the input of the emoticon, and expresses the expression corresponding to the type of the emoticon to be input (the user inputs his / her face in such a manner). The facial expression that the user wants to input is automatically input at a predetermined input position in the sentence without any special operation by the user. Becomes very efficient.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining emoticons.

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] April 9, 2002 (2002.4.9)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Drawing

[Correction target item name] All figures

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

FIG.

FIG. 2

FIG. 3

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A method for recording a plurality of types of face characters in advance in association with “a plurality of face images having different facial expressions or data related thereto (for example, data indicating characteristics of each face image)”. An emoticon database, an imaging unit for imaging the user's face, and when the user instructs to input an emoticon ,
Imaging control means for imaging the user's face at the time by the imaging means; and when the user instructs input of a face character, the user's face image from the imaging means or data related thereto (for example, the user's face) A face character selecting unit for selecting a face character corresponding to the user's face image data from the image capturing unit from the face character database based on the image data). Emoticon input means for inputting the selected emoticon at a position designated by the user at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence input by the user. system. Wherein the imaging means for imaging the user's face, when the user instructs input of emoticons, and the instruction
Image capturing control means for capturing an image of the user's face by the image capturing means, and when the user instructs the input of the emoticon, based on the user's face image data from the image capturing means, An emoticon generating means for generating an emoticon having substantially the same size as a character constituting a sentence, and an emoticon generated by the emoticon generating means, at the beginning, in the middle of a sentence input by the user. Or an emoticon input means for inputting at a position designated by the user at the end of the emoticon. 3. A method for recording a plurality of types of face characters in advance in association with “a plurality of face images having different facial expressions or data related thereto (for example, data indicating characteristics of each face image)”. The emoticon database is provided, and when a user instructs to input an emoticon ,
Imaging the user's face at the time, and when the user instructs the input of the emoticon, the captured user's face image or data related thereto (for example,
Selecting a face character corresponding to the captured face image data of the user from the face character database on the basis of the data indicating the characteristics of the user's face image). Inputting at a position specified by the user at the beginning, middle, or end of the sentence input by the user. 4. A step of taking an image of the user's face when the user instructs the input of the emoticon, and when the user instructs the input of the emoticon, the face image data of the imaged user Generating a “smiley of approximately the same size as the characters constituting the sentence input by the user”, based on the Or a step of inputting at a position specified by the user at the end of the emoticon. 5. A method for recording a plurality of types of face characters in advance in association with “a plurality of face images having different facial expressions or data related thereto (for example, data indicating characteristics of each face image)”. a computer program for use in systems with emoticons database, when the user instructs input of emoticons, and the instruction
A function of imaging the user's face at the time, and when the user instructs the input of the emoticon, the captured image of the user's face or data related thereto (for example,
A function for selecting a face character corresponding to the captured face image data of the user from the face character database, based on the data indicating the characteristics of the user's face image). A computer program for emoticon input for realizing a function of inputting at a position specified by a user at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence input by a user. 6. A function for capturing an image of a user's face when a user instructs input of a face character, and a function for capturing the face image data of the captured user when the user instructs input of a face character. Based on the function to generate a "smiley of approximately the same size as the characters constituting the sentence input by the user", and the generated emoticon, the beginning, middle of the sentence Or a function for inputting at the end and at the position specified by the user.